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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

What Are YOU Looking For? ...and a little soul searching...

Hello:) I have been thinking....

It has almost been a year since I started this blog. I started because I loved reading blogs - they helped me when shopping for nail polish to determine if I "needed" a certain color or already had a dupe. I also thought it would be fun to have a diary of my nail polish collection. Another benefit of blogging is meeting other people around the world who share a common interest. I was VERY nervous to start. I went a few weeks without having any readers and I didn't tell anyone about my blog. It felt a little weird talking to myself after a while, so I started posting some of my nails of the day on a few Facebook groups and slowly people started reading.

And now, here I am. I have met so many great friends through blogging and I love receiving comments and positive feedback. It makes me feel like what I am doing is appreciated. If you are a blogger, you know how much hard work and time it takes. Planning a manicure, creating the manicure (nicely), getting the perfect photograph, and writing about it. It all takes lots of time - and I have loved it so far.

Here is where my "thinking" comes into play. As you may have noticed, I have been reviewing polishes from a few indies (independent nail polish sellers) as well as Zoya. I am receiving these polishes for free in exchange for my honest review. This isn't why I got into blogging....I actually had no idea companies sent free polish to bloggers and I didn't even know much about indies at all. But when the first indie owner asked me to review her polishes, I was thrilled. You mean you want ME to try YOUR polishes and post them on my blog? wha wha???? Sure! :) But now that I have gotten more and more, I am finding it hard to find a balance. I am also worrying about what my readers are thinking. In an effort to find a balance between reviewing and showing polishes that I have purchased, I have tried alternating the posts. One day I post a review, the next day I post a polish that I already had in my stash or recently purchased. I don't want to be all indie, but I like indies so much that I don't want to be all mainstream either. I know everyone has preferences and I would love to know what yours are.

What I am trying to ask is:

1. Are you liking where my blog is going? or not?

2. Do you feel I am showing too many indie brands and reviews?

3. What would you like to see more of?

I know I know, everyone says "blog for yourself". But I really want to provide posts that people enjoy. I enjoy blogging and wearing all sorts of nail polish - whether it's mainstream or indie - doesn't matter to me. I want my blog to be a place where people feel comfortable visiting, where they can trust what I am saying, and they feel there is something fun and helpful for them to read or see.

I am just looking for a little HONEST feedback. I watch a lot of YouTube videos and there is so much controversy over "sponsored videos" etc. I just don't want people thinking that I am a "sell out" because I am starting to review polishes that I haven't purchased. I know we aren't suppose to worry about what other people think but I do...I am human, I am a girl.

I am also looking for a little advice from bloggers. I am having a bit of a hard time figuring these feelings out and it would be nice to know if you have gone through times like this and have some advice for finding peace.

Then again, maybe most of you aren't going to read this because you subscribed for one of my giveaways and haven't come back since... :-/

Now....after typing this...should I hit "publish"??? If you are reading this now...I did!

Thanks for reading!

58 comments:

I love your blog. I do not care whether you post from your purchases or products you have been given. For me, I like to see the pictures and your honest review - what does it matter where the polish came from if you are reviewing it honestly? You take amazing pictures that I have found to be color accurate (when compared to something I own or have purchased from your reviews). Keep doing what you are doing!!

Thank you very much. I try to be sure the colors are accurate in every post and that is sometimes hard to do. I am happy that you are okay with my blog and thank you very much for taking the time to respond!

Thank you. I may just be overwhelmed with trying to get all of the polishes I have received and still do the polishes that I have in my collection or have decided to buy recently. It's a balancing act, that's for sure. Thanks for your advice:)

1. Are you liking where my blog is going? or not? I like it and it is a testament to your talent that Zoya and indie makers are asking you to blog for them!

2. Do you feel I am showing too many indie brands and reviews? See, I love indies, hard, and I think I feature an indie almost every day, so for me, no. I love finding new shades and new small businesses to support.

I know you like indies so I am never scared to show them to you:) I love that about your blog:) And thanks for #3. I will have to remember to post more cakes. I'm getting to the end of the ones that I have done so that's another hobby that I need to re-kindle:)

I really enjoy your blog Essie. One thing that set you apart from so many bloggers out there is the polish you showcase. You choose affordable and attainable polishes that anyone can get their hands on! I consider you to be one of the "real" bloggers out there. I think reviewing products that were provided does change the overall feel of a blog but I can't see it changing YOU as a person and a blogger. You have impeccable swatches so it's no surprise that someone would be happy to provide polishes to be showcased here. I think if you can balance out things without straying too far from your blogging purpose then that's perfect! I like that you show polishes that have been around for awhile and inspires ladies to pull out their old faves too. I'm still finding my "place" in the blogging world but I'm learning more and more about where I feel most comfortable. I'm a big Lynnderella fan (obviously) and I will continue to show lots of her polishes, more so than lots of other indie brands. That's just how my blog has evolved. I think things are going well and keep up the good work :)

Thank you so much for this. I really do try to throw in some easy to find and affordable drugstore polishes in the mix and I'm glad you noticed that. And I'm glad you can still see who I am even though some of the focus has moved a bit. I guess we all change and evolve. Keep showing those Lynnderella's. Some day I will have at least 1! That's my goal:)

Ah so you published! ;) And to answer your questions:1. I don't see any problem2. There can never be too many! I'm one who loves to see unique shades or new combos and the next possible colour that is missing in my stash. haha! So I really meant it when I say, there can never be too many!3. Nail art. Usually, nail arts are what makes me click into the posts. Unless there are new collections or crazy interesting creations from indie makers. If indeed you feel that there are too many nail polish reviews, perhaps find a balance by doing the standard review and including a nail art to accompany it.

Good to know that you like a variety of polishes. And nail art??? Hmmm, I better work on that one. I do have the supplies such as striping tape, dotting tools, and brushes...and they keep staring at me and I'm scared of them. You have a great idea to incorporate some art into the review. I will keep that in mind. Thanks for taking the time to provide your advice:)

I'm very guilty of reading a blog post but not leaving a comment. I'm working on that. What you do is very important, I personally don't care how you came to possess a polish. I'm a huge fan of freebies. I feel that most bloggers will give their honest opinion no matter how they got their polish. I KNOW that I can rely on you to give me your heartfelt feed back about any polish you review. Not said often enough.... THANK YOU for your hard work and for hitting publish on this post!

I agree with Shannon that if they are sending you free samples and asking you to blog about them then you are doing something right. I enjoy reading your blog. And I enjoy that you alternate days on the indie and the 'mainstream'. I tend to lean towards the mainstream shades so I enjoy reading about nail polishes that I would wear.

You shouldn't feel bad that you are receiving polishes to review-- that's pretty cool! You should be proud of all the love and energy and hard work you've poured into this blog. I think as long as you can a disclaimer about what was purchased vs received from a brand, you're set.

I know as a blogger that I definitely get tired of posting the same brand after the same brand (regardless of whether they are indie or mainstream) so I've been trying to mix up my posts a bit and some "nail of the day" posts and nail art to keep things fresh and exciting. But I really enjoy your blog and will keep reading!

Thank you very much. It's just getting a bit difficult for me because I post as I wear the polishes. So the posts are my nails of the day. Because of this, I need to paint them and take pictures and blog about them almost every day if I want to get a good amount of posts done in a week. I have heard that people do "swatch-a-thons" where they swatch a bunch on one day and then post throughout the week. That sounds like something I may need to try - especially now that I am getting lots to review. It's getting hard to keep up with getting reviews done, but still wanting to show some of my mainstream polishes. I'm starting to get a little bit away from what I thought my blog would be and that has me a little concerned. It may just be that I am feeling overwhelmed right now. Thanks for your support!

I will be honest in saying I usually skip posts about indies. I guess I'm just tired of them, and feel that they all sorta look the same. I've just never bought the hype. I mean I do like some, but I almost feel like I've seen one, I've seen them all kinda thing.

Don't feel bad for getting polishes for review, I've been blogging for 2 years and have almost half the followers you have, and have only gotten one thing for review (which I'm still so excited about).

Thanks for being honest. I know there are people out there that don't care for indies - I have read some of their posts in my Facebook groups. And that is part of the reason I get a little concerned. I try so hard to alternate so I'm not turning off a whole group of people. I know I can't please everyone, but I would like to please the majority. I'm glad you have stuck with me and hope you continue to:) And yes, it's exciting when someone shows that they appreciate your work and want to send you their polish. Great job! :)

I have the same problem, lately I feel like I've been inundated with polishes to review (not that I would EVER complain about it! I feel so priveleged :)) but it does feel a little like cheating almost... I don't know. I know that I have spent so much on polish and have so many untrieds that once I get through the polishes to review I'll be able to get back to them but I also feel bad posting untrieds when brands/companies have taken the time to send me selected products to review = less posts overall while I am trying to get through them. I don't worry that my readership will be frustrated by seeing pr samples all the time because I think they enjoy seeing new releases, hearing about new brands etc and I think if they don't like the content they won't click on the post, but it's always a good idea to get feedback :) try not to worry about it, I don't think readers (myself included) tend to be bothered by samples, I think there's definitely a difference between posting lots of reviews of product samples and posting ALL reviews of product samples, we all know you do blogging for the love of nails and not for the love of free stuff :) xxxx

Yep, it sounds like you feel just like me. I too feel bad when people have sent me polishes and I am throwing in a Revlon or OPI while their polish is still waiting. I currently have 3 different brands waiting so I have been trying to alternate those and then try to alternate with the mainstream ones too - so I'm not doing all indies. I have seen people post a bunch of polishes from one brand in one post. And so far I have dedicate each post to one polish because that's what I like when I read blogs. But it seems like doing it this way is lots of work and it takes me longer than it would if I would do it the other way. I don't know. I guess I'm stressing myself out. Thanks for making me feel like I'm not alone!

Blog for you, because everyone else has different opinions of what you should be blogging about. I love/loved your blog because you had a lot of swatches of gorgeous cream polishes from now and the past, whereas most other bloggers do current collections or indies. That set you apart and made you unique (your beautiful cakes helped too).

I wasn't sure if I should comment because I think I have an opinion that's different than the majority. Do I like where your blog is going? I don't think you've gone far enough down one road or another for me to give a firm answer. I generally skip your indie posts. I don't care if you bought them or if they were sent to you, I'm not into indies and the whole restocking process. I'm a cream lover and since most indies are glitter bombs I've come to accept that I just don't love them as much as my other polishes.

When I started blogging I realized that one of the perks may be free polish to review. While free polish is fantastic and it means that you are doing everything right with respects to blogging, I knew I didn't want the pressure of doing reviews, posting reviews in a timely fashion, and I didn't want to deal with how I felt if I received a polish I wasn't a fan of. Yes, your supposed to provide honest reviews but I knew that would be really hard for me to do especially if it was for a small business trying to get their foot in the door. Also I thought that reviewing things may become a chore, make blogging unpleasant, give me anxiety, and I didn't want any of those things to happen to me. So please, don't ask me to review your polish because I'd rather buy one polish I NEED versus get four free polishes I like.

Thank you sooo much for being honest. I am asking for honest feedback so I am glad you decided to comment when you weren't sure if you should. Your last paragraph hit the nail on the head when you were talking about not wanting polishes to review because you didn't want to feel pressure, etc. I am just that type of person - if things turn into a chore, I end up stressing myself out and then quitting. I guess I'm a little worried that this will turn into that. My cakes hobby turned into that a little bit. I refused to make cakes for everyone who asked because I didn't want it to be a "job". But then I ended up making it a job anyway. I would try to be perfect and stress myself out so much that I was in tears while decorating. NOT FUN. I kindof ruined my cake hobby and now I amy trying not to ruin my blogging/nail polish hobby too. I do love trying all of these new polishes, but the way I blog (one polish per post and also want to have mainstream polishes), it's almost like I am not able to keep up. I also work and have 2 kids so it's all a big balancing act. I need to figure something out don't I?? Thanks again for commenting!

I'm not always a reader of blogs, but this one caught my attention for a few reasons. Main one is I'm an indie polish maker, Ruby White Tips. I don't do glitter bombs, I don't like them. There's plenty of them out there, the indie world doesn't need one more. But, back to topic. I think it would be refreshing for a honest review. A true, here's the scoop review. I wish I could post this anonymously because I may be more honest too. I see the same polish, over and over. I see the same reviews over and over. I'd love for you to write about the colors you LIKE. Not the colors you don't. And then make it up from the perspective of "if it was the color I liked, the consistency is great though". I hope that makes sense. If you can't wear a yellow polish, someone sends you something with yellow base, tell them NO. What would hurt by saying NO to one, and YES to those you would really enjoy doing, not because you think you have to. I don't always give free polish out to bloggers but when I do, I expect them to give me a positive review. That's why I'd rather they pay, with their own money they can say anything they want to about my polish and not feel guilty for bashing it. It's never happened, I like to think my polish does really ROCK! (but, one day someone may not like it, and I'm ready for that, sniff,sniff, really....no, really I am.)

Also wanted to add, If you love what you do, then it should all fall right into place. Take the colors that you love and do them. The ones that are a maybe, and place then to the side. You don't have to choose, indie or mainstream. Choose them all, and let it all fall into place like it should. A year ago, what did you want to happen with this blog, and if that's happened your doing something right. You'll find your way, just be true to why you started the blog in the first place. And never forget to smile through it all! (not really anonymous, but it came up that way before???)

Thanks for both of your replies:) When I started in the first place, I never thought I would be here. I never even considered receiving polishes for review - so that's why I am having a bit of trouble right now. My blog is starting to evolve and I am trying to figure out if it is going in the direction that I want or if I need to reign it in a bit. Thanks for giving me some things to think about. Best of luck with your polish line. Now I'm curious and want to check it out! :)

I like your blog! I think you have a very sweet and kind tone to your posts and I enjoy what you have to say! The cakes are pretty cool too! ;) I must say that I'm not really into Indie polishes...not my thing. Your OPI Czech book comparision post was just right for me..it was what was on my mind since I recently bought that polish and was wondering about the dupes! :) Nice job with your blog! I know now as a blogger how much time it takes..it's so tough that I unfortunately have let my blog go a little bit :( am not posting regularly like I was before because of the time commitment..ahh..but I'm still a very active reader of blogs. We shall see what's next for me and my blogging journey...

Thank you! You know what, that comparison posts are my #1 favorite posts. Those are how I found out about nail blogging in the first place. I truly enjoy doing dupe and comparison posts and I would love to do them more often. I know how life can get in the way a little bit. It can be a struggle sometimes. And yes, blogging is quite the journey, isn't it? :)

I think you just need to blog what feels right to you. :) I never mind seeing/reading about polishes that were sent to bloggers for free as long as that fact is disclosed somewhere in the post. And, as other people have said, the fact that you're being sent polishes to review means you are doing a whole lot right!

I suspect that I like indies a WHOLE lot less than most nail bloggers (with a few exceptions of course), but I still LOVE your blog, and you are striking a nice balance right now. I look at your indie swatches because I feel like I need to know what's going on in that world, lol, but I sometimes glaze over the written parts on those posts. (I just don't especially love glitterbombs, like a lot of indies are). THAT said, I know how time consuming the whole nail blog project can be- so the only way to make it work is to do what is enjoyable for you!

Thanks for reading and commenting. I love your blog so much and never miss an opportunity to tell someone about it. Thank you for mentioning that you think I have a nice balance. I'm trying. And you are right, if I am doing something enjoyable, it should end up working out for me. Thanks for giving me your advice and I look forward to talking to you more in the future:)

Given the explosion in the Indie market, I feel that you would be doing a disservice to your readers NOT to explore that aspect of the polish world. Yeah you receive polishes to review but as long as you balance it out with other brands so they all get exposure, I hardly see what could be wrong with it. Cheer up butterup, the blog is wonderful and so are you :)

((((Essie)))) I feel like we're close enough that your blog is just your awesome blog that I really like and I read it because I like it and because we're friends. You could change direction entirely and I would still read and comment :) You know I'm not huge into indies/glitters but your photos rock so from a more observant standpoint, those are what draw me in. Your voice, too, is sweet and genuine. And the amount of readers you have is a testament to the fact that you have a good balance. You cater to different groups and you do it well. I've had considerably less to review than you but I know the stress you speak of. KB expressed my feelings on reviewing perfectly. I imagine turning someone down is a very hard thing to do, buut Anonymous is right in the respect that if you don't feel a certain polish or collection and don't feel you could ethically do a nice review, turn it down. I think it'd be okay to if you're feeling overwhelmed, too. There's something to be said, I think, for developing a good relationship with a small handful of companies you truly like and respect (like Zoya and KB Shimmer :) ) as opposed to reviewing anything and everything. What would I like to see more of? Just keep doing what you're doing :) If you decide to get more into art I'll ooh and ahh over it. I love your swatches, in fact you're responsible for more of my polish purchases than any other blogger (in fact, you are one of two who I can even say have influenced any of my purchases). And, I'll TRY and find interesting things to say about your indies, lolol ;) But seriously, remember a blog is a very organic thing and change will come, and it's all what you make of it :) I'm so glad I get to share this journey with you :)

You are right, great advice Liesl:) I have told you so many times how much I appreciate you. I can't believe how lucky I was to meet you. Something made us start at the same time, meet, and just click. Crazy how this world works. I feel like I know you and I haven't even met you! I appreciate you so much and thank you for your support. I feel the same way about you - you could talk about dirt and I would read and comment. Take care!

I just wanted to point out that indie polish swatches are in a way more useful than mainstream polishes of which you can find tons and tons of swatches already. I havent dabbed much in the indie polish market but i would like to and i always search for pictures online before buying anything really... So i dont mind at all that the polishes were provided for review, as long as you give accurate information re opacity, consistency, drying time etc the reader can decide for themselves whetehr they like the polish enough to purchase it. I really like your blog especially because I think the quality of pictures is really good, if I could take nicer pictures, i would love to blog my manis too and have a little diary of what i have worn :) sidetreacked... anyway, the one thing i would be happy to see changed is the background colour because it seems more difficult to read against the black and also i think the nail polish colour will pop better against a white background... BUT of course, this is just my own opinion, and the blog is YOURS, so you should do it the way you enjoy it most :)) xx

Thank you very much for the input. I'll try different backgrounds and see how it looks. I tried to make the text not "white" so it won't be too hard to read - but if it still is, I will take a look and see what I can do. Thanks also for the compliment on my pictures. I too was iffy about my pictures in the beginning and that is why it was hard for me to start a blog. But I guarantee if you would try it, your photos would get better and better. Just try! It's so fun. Even if you don't tell anyone about it, it's fun keeping the diary of your polishes. I would read your blog if you started on - just let me know! Thanks for commenting and providing feedback:)

Your blog was the first blog to which I ever subscribed. I think I was your #22, LOL. I sometimes think I am the only non-blogging girl out there who reads nail blogs. :/ I think one of the reasons I like your blog so much is because you seem like a regular girl who just likes to talk about her hobby. Sometimes when I read other blogs, it's almost like they were written mostly for nail techs to read. Does that make sense? And to me, the best part of your blog is the no nail art. I always pass by a post with nail art. I'm an accountant, and I do my nails every day, but I am just not going to go to the office with frogs and lollipops painted on them. :) I know you have said that nail art isn't your thing, so don't feel bad about that because some of us just don't like it. :P I think you do a great job, and you seem to be a real sweetie pie. :)

Well thank you so much! It's comments like yours that keep me here:) You are right, I'm a regular girl and I am glad you can see that through reading my blog. Sometimes it's hard to know who is writing a blog because they are usually only talking about nail polish. The amount of feedback I have received on this post shows that people are interested in the person behind the blog. I love that about blogs too - when I can tell there is a person like me sitting on the other side, it makes me feel like I am connected to that person...and it helps that they love nail polish too! LOL - "frogs and lollipops" I feel the same way. I'll look at blogs with nail art, but I don't think you'll ever see lollipops and frogs on my nails:)' You really boosted my spirits today, so thank you.

Essie- I adore your blog! I follow a ton of blogs but yours is one that I follow religiously! I really love everything you do. I like seeing reviews, monthly favorites, NOTDs, comparison posts and your cakes. Even if you dropped any of those things, it wouldn't matter to me as I just love your style and your swatches are gorgeous! I am probably biased in regards to indie reviews but I love seeing them. Even though I am an indie polish maker, I love seeing other indie polishes. Someone above mentioned that they are not reviewed as much and/or can be a little more difficult to find swatches of at times. I like to look up swatches before I purchase most nail polish so it's nice to have that reference. I think though, if you start to not enjoy any of the things you are doing on your blog, then don't do it. If you get backlogged with reviews, either be honest with the company and tell them you are not doing any reviews at this time....or tell them an expected turn around time. I have contacted bloggers that have told me they are backed up and think it could take several weeks to a month. Then the seller/company can decide if they would want to pass.

I don't think there is anything I'd prefer to see more of as I have always loved anything you have posted. I know it's been said but blog for you! You have a real life outside of your blog and that's important. Don't do things that will make you stressed out. Take time off if you think you need it. If you lose followers over that...then they probably weren't avid followers. There is a blogger that had tons to do with my addiction/love for nail polish. She last blogged April, 2012. I am still prescribed and hope that someday she will come back. Just an example of the true followers will be here. I am happy to call you a friend and I couldn't say that if you didn't have this blog here. :)

Thanks Amy for giving me the perspective of an indie maker. I never thought I would turn down a chance to review a new polish but I may just have to depending on how many I have waiting for me. I think you guys have all helped me figure out that I need to take charge of my own blog and be honest with people who are contacting me. Perhaps in the future I will be able to find more time to have "swatch a thons" and be able to review more at a time. But for now, I like dedicating each post to one polish at a time - and that does take more time. I really don't want to get away from that because those are the types of blog posts I like to read. I find myself scrolling through faster if there are tons of different polishes in one post. But that's just my opinion. And you are right about doing what I want and if I lose followers, who cares. The ones that appreciate what I do will stick around. Thanks for bringing this all into perspective for me. You have been a great help! And thank you for being a friend....oh, that's the Golden Girls song! LOL.

Ah, Golden Girls! :)I tend to agree with you that I prefer one to two polishes in a post. I enjoy the conversation aspect and getting to know a little bit about a blogger. Also on that front, if the blogger is doing a blog post that is featuring five different polishes, when looking through the feed in Blogger, Bloglovin, etc. you only usually see one photo. If I don't like that first photo I see, I will often skip the blog post all together. Also as an indie maker, I actually prefer my polishes to be showcased one at a time but I would never ask a blogger to do that. I know how hard it is to blog and I like to leave things up the the individual blogger.

Again, do what suits you best and what you enjoy about blogging. I'll be here no matter what! :)

Good, I'm glad you like the one at a time - it just takes a bit longer. I agree about clicking to read a post on blogger - if the pic that shows up first doesn't look interesting to me, I don't usually click on it.

I love your blog! And I also love both indie and mainstream polish. I think as long as you stay honest with your readers and yourself, everything will be fine. I also think that even if you are reviewing a product you received for free, your readers can check out the photos and decide for themselves if they like that color or not. I see sponsored posts all the time and it doesn't sway me either way. If I love the color, I'll buy the polish. If I don't, I won't. I also feel like for all the work that goes into creating and keeping up a blog, if someone wants to give you something then that is awesome! As long as you are still enjoying blogging, just keep doing what you're doing. :) And PS You take awesome photos - and that is another reason I love your blog!

Thank you very much! I'm hoping most readers feel the way you do. I have been worried that I am annoying readers by showing too many indies/reviews - but it sounds like if they don't like it, they won't read. And maybe one will catch their eye and they didn't expect it:) Thanks for the compliment on my photos. I try so hard to make them "perfect" that I get a little stressed about that too. I really struggle with accepting that good enough is good enough. That's the perfectionist in me. Thanks again and I hope to talk to you soon.

I really mean it when I say you are my favorite blog! I do think that you are doing things right, and I think you have a good mix of mainstream polishes and indies. I like that you do full manicures as well and that they're not too much in the way of nail art. I like seeing combinations of creams or glitters because that is more my style!

Wow, thank you very much. That's such an awesome compliment. I enjoy watching your blog grow too. Are you having fun with it so far? I'm glad you notice that I try to mix it up. Mainstream, indies, glitters, and cremes....that is what I try to do and it makes me feel good that you have noticed. Thanks for supporting me and I look forward to getting to know you better. Take care!

I read this, this morning and did my thing today and then came to post a couple of things and remembered about this. My advice, Do you. Do what Essie does. It is your blog and you can do whatever you want. When you start to be someone else you get lost and will not enjoy it anymore. If you feel overwhelmed by doing reviews, be selective. Doing Essie is what sells the blog not doing what you feel you have to do. I hope that makes sense.

Personally, I don't want to do reviews for others. I get that it's cool to get free stuff-but I would feel obligated to show colors I'm not fond of and say I like them. And what if I'm not in the mood for that color on that day-well I agreed to review it so I'd feel like I had to do that instead of posting something I wanted to. That's just me. I prefer not to review anything-so I don't feel obligated to wear something I'm not in the mood for. Bottom line is-you HAVE to blog what YOU want. If you start doing for others-you will burn out and start to hate blogging.

I really do like trying all of the different indie polishes that I have been sent. I think I was just getting overwhelmed. But you are right, if I start feeling like I am blogging about things that I have to instead of want to, it may get burnt out. I think I may need to start looking at what I have and telling people that they may have to wait a little bit so I am not as stressed. it's all a learning experience right now. Thanks for your help!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! You were one of the first people I reached out to when I was looking for reviewers. Not only because of the care that you put into each post- the kindness, the amazing photography (I love the sweater pics) and the individual attention that you give to each polish, but because it's a great mix of everything!

You've had several people say so far that they tend to skip indie posts, and I'm just the opposite: I don't need to see anymore swatches of the Avant Garden collection. I got it- I've seen it 30 times by now! Whereas indies are much more spread out. You may see the same color on a few blogs, but there is nowhere near the oversaturation that you see from ChG, OPI or Zoya. And don't feel bad for a second that you're not buying these indies- all of those China Glaze new collections were sent as free promos too!

And I, personally, have to disagree with Ruby White Tips. When I send polish to reviewers, I truly want their honest opinion of my polish! There is no better way for me to continue improving at what I do than receiving constructive criticism. I hope that my polish is loved, and if there is something truly atrocious about it, I would rather be told in private, but if the color is just not for you, or if you wish there was more/less glitter, I would prefer absolute honesty.

Wow, thanks so much for the compliment. I'm happy you appreciate my blog. It's a lot of work but comments like this one makes it all worth it. I really do love to try new indie polishes so I will keep reviewing them if I am asked...I just may have to explain to them that it may not be up as quickly as others. I think I have a picture of what I want my blog to be and that is a good mix of both indie and mainstream. Thanks so much for commenting and giving me some words of wisdom:)

I love your blog.. as for posts, I'd say that's a personal preference but honestly I think mixing it up a little here and there is great. I love to see indies, but I also love to see mainstream. I have the opposite problem, would love to review some polishes but I rarely hear back from people :P oh well!

Essie - first off, great post. I've been dealing with similar issues!! I've been getting China Glaze and some indies for reviews, and I actually had big problems with the review of my last one. In the end I managed to find good things about polish, but I see now how hard it is to really *honestly* review a polish. As far as your blog goes, I really love the variety!! I personally don't care much for not cruelty-free polishes, but I'm not your only reader and I know that other followers don't care so much. To wrap it up, I think you're doing great!! The only thing I would love to see more of are your cakes!!!! :))

Thanks for taking the time to comment. It does get to be hard reviewing polishes - it does take a lot of time, I have found out:) I'm happy to be able to review polishes, but it has been getting to be too much now. I think I need to start telling people that I need a little break to get caught up:) Thanks again for understanding and I will start to start posting cakes again. I am making one for my daughter's 6th birthday in a week so I will post that one.